The King and His Daughter
by iamselena
Summary: Yusuke and Keiko went to Makai to visit Raizen's grave. It was then when Keiko had a talk with the Yusuke's ancestor about the man she fell for... and about love. A Raizen and Keiko conversation, with a lil' bit of humor here and there. Oneshot


**AN:** Hail King Raizen! Well… yeah. I'm a Raizen fan. Huh? Why? Okay, let's analyze things. He was a vicious, man-eating monster/demon who could easily kill the woman who helped him in his time of need. But nooooooooo. He didn't! *grins triumphantly* He even fell in love with her and vowed to abstain from eating humans. Again, he did it.

I really think he's a cool father and role model for Yusuke. I was sooo disappointed that he died without knowing Keiko or having a chance to meet her. So I made a fic to relieve my little piece of frustration. Oh, and since I just love Chu and the others, I included them here for a laugh.

I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or the characters. I just borrow them and let them act my plot.

_**The King and His Daughter**_

Keiko was extremely surprised when she found Yusuke waiting for outside the school gates. Immediately, all her friends wanted to know what importance did the "irresistible" man "with the totally cute hairdo" held in her life. She merely replied that he was a childhood friend of hers, and was also the jackass who left her for a couple of years after promising to marry her when he came back.

They didn't believe her, of course.

"Is your boyfriend, Keiko?" one of her friends asked.

"No way! Keiko wouldn't have a boyfriend! She's too picky," another one contradicted.

"Well, you do have a point there," a brunette conceded. "I think he's not your type."

Keiko had to smile at that. "He isn't." But it doesn't matter, she thought. She had fallen in love with him anyway.

After her friends left her with him, Keiko faced Yusuke with a glare. "What are you doing here?" she asked, poking his chest with her index finger.

Yusuke smiled innocently. "Why, fetching you from school. What else?"

Her gaze narrowed. "Uh huh. And pigs fly." Yusuke rolled his eyes before taking her bag, a gesture that surprised Keiko. Yusuke wasn't the gentlemanly type. Never. That was usually Kurama. But she didn't complain as they walked downhill.

When Yusuke turned left, she knew where they were headed. It was their last meeting place, the meadow near the railway and the creek. They talked about little things, things that didn't seem to matter at all on the way. About how Puu still has his hair even after transforming into a gigantic chicken. About Kuwabara finally making a move on Yukina by buying her a ring, which Yusuke couldn't help but making a remark (Kuwabara's turning into a sentimental oaf). About the party they were going to hold in Genkai's place in a month's time (Botan and Koenma were busy to schedule anything sooner). About Hiei staying in Makai, but promised (grudgingly so) to come back in time for the party, because Yukina had begged for him to come.

"Maybe Hiei likes Yukina," Keiko deduced, placing a hand under her chin. "I kinda noticed that nobody except Yukina could persuade him to do anything."

Yusuke choked on a laugh. Keiko glanced at him suspiciously. "I doubt it, Keiko," he told her hastily. "Hiei isn't that kind of guy."

"I supposed so," she relented.

They lapsed into silence as they reached their usual spot, before lying down to watch the sunset. Several minutes passed before Keiko piped up to break the silence, comfortable as it is.

"Okay, what's up?"

Yusuke glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Keiko raised an eyebrow. "You've been thinking," she accused him.

He smirked. "And that turned into a crime… how exactly?"

"When the person not talking is named Yusuke Urameshi," she replied confidently. "You couldn't even last a minute without talking! Unless you're blacked out, that is, after getting kicked in the butt." She sat up and stared him down. "Now I repeat. What's up?"

He sighed. "Hell, I don't know."

"You don't know why you're acting all quiet?"

Yusuke smiled wryly. "Sarcasm becomes you."

She shrugged before lying back down. "Learned a lot of stuff from the master."

Silence.

"I just miss my Dad."

Keiko glanced at Yusuke. He was wearing some sort of pained expression that she couldn't identify. She inched closer to him. "But, Yusuke, you never met your Dad before," she told him softly.

He let out a dry, rough laugh. Forced. "Not the bastard my Mom got involved with. My ancestor. The one I met in Makai."

She froze. "You met your father there?"

He nodded.

"Where is he now?"

"Back in Makai."

"How is he?"

"Dead."

The blunt honesty shocked Keiko, but she held herself. "Want to talk about it?" she asked softly, placing a hand above his. "You seem to have hidden a lot of anger underneath this… façade."

Yusuke shook his head. "I'm not… angry. I… well, I seem to regret a lot of things now that he's gone."

"Like?" she prompted.

"I wish I had gotten to know him better." He hesitated, before continuing. "He seems to be a really great guy, considering…"

"Considering what?"

"That he used to be an S-class, man-eating demon king that attacked me when he was so hungry," Yusuke cheerfully added, glancing to see her reaction.

She didn't disappoint. "What!"

So Yusuke relayed to her everything that happened in Makai. How his father abstained from eating humans after meeting the love of his life. It cost him a longer life, but it was worth it. "He loved her," he said, closing his eyes at the memory of his last talk with his ancestral father. "I know that. He was really devoted to her. He could've lasted hundreds of years more, but he didn't break his promise to himself and to her. He died, but not foolishly." Yusuke sighed. "Though most of them thought so. When I visited his grave one last time, I realized that he and I were the same in ways."

"That both of you are stubborn as hell and are suckers when it comes to love?" Keiko laughingly said. She looked down on him, and realized he was smiling.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Silence.

"I want to see his grave."

Yusuke opened his eyes quickly. "What?"

Keiko looked at him with determined eyes. "You heard me," she said calmly. "I want to go to Makai and visit your father's grave." Keiko sat up straight and faced the sunset. "I know you wanted to go back there and visit. Don't pretend. And then maybe, you'll realize that you have nothing to regret, Yusuke." She smiled. "None at all. In fact, I think you know your father pretty well."

"Maybe. But it's dangerous!" Yusuke sat up. "Has studying too much finally cracked your idiotic head?"

She looked at him wryly. "You know I won't get hurt with you around." She tapped his nose. "You'd beat them and punch their lights out. Come on. It's time for you to bury some skeletons before you do anything else with your life, don't you think so?"

**X**

"You're going to Makai?" Kuwabara was gaping at Keiko like she had grown another head. She and Yusuke were in Genkai's temple, stopping by to tell their friends their recently-developed plans. "Keiko? Have you lost your friggin' mind? Have you been studying too hard?"

"That's what exactly I told her when she relayed her idea to me," Yusuke said dryly, as he sat beside him. He yawned. "She was so pissed because I was spending too much time back in Demon World, then suddenly she proposes to visit my Dad's grave a month after I came back."

"Well, I'm going with you now," Keiko answered, glaring at Yusuke. Then she turned back to Kuwabara. "And don't give me the usual crap that I'll get hurt and stuff, Kuwabara."

"And why not?" he asked, his brow furrowing in the middle.

"Sometimes I wonder if too much studying impaired _**your**_ common sense, bro," Shizuru muttered, lighting a cigarette, before popping it in her mouth. "She's got Yusuke. Who would even dare mess with him?"

When Kuwabara looked back at the couple, Keiko was grinning and Yusuke looked resigned. "You've got everything planned, huh, Keiko?"

"I think it's a great idea." Yukina entered the room with a tray full of cups and a kettle. She gingerly set the tray on the floor and, with Kuwabara's help, passed the cups around. "Thank you, Kazuma," she said, flashing him one of her irresistible smile.

Kuwabara blushed. "No problem, Yukina. My love, my darling, my—oof!"

A bash on the head. "Sock it, little brother! Seeing you in your lover boy mode makes me sick to my stomach."

"Hey!"

Yukina turned towards the couple. "Demon World is not that bad, Keiko," she said, filling their cups. "Especially when you're visiting his father's terrain." She nodded towards Yusuke's direction. "From what I heard, King Raizen was a very good ruler. And with Yusuke, you should be fine there."

**X**

Yusuke glanced at her side-long. "Well, what do you think?"

Keiko stared at the long stretch of desert, while at the horizon sat a huge castle. Thunder clouds rolled by slowly, giving a haunted impression of the whole place. "Uh… it's not what I expected," she answered honestly, shifting her backpack. "I actually imagined slums and monsters lurking everywhere."

He laughed. "Typical Demon World picture, huh?" Then he tilted his head. "And here comes the welcoming committee."

"Huh?"

Keiko could hear a rumbling sort of sound. Then the sound became clearer: footsteps. More like a stampede. In the distance, a cloud of dust was coming closer to their place. She closed her eyes to prevent sand from entering her eyes.

"Sir Yusuke."

Keiko opened her eyes at the voice, and was greeted by three men—and all of them were bald. They were smiling at her, and she gave them a smile back. Yusuke greeted them with a slap on the back and a broad grin.

"Hokushin!" he greeted the first man, who looks as if he was the leader of the group. "To'o! Seitei! Still bald as usual, but then again, after spending two years here you guys never did grow hair."

"And I see you're still as funny as ever," Hokushin said sarcastically. Then he sobered up. "We are delighted that you've come to visit Makai so soon. We thought that we'll only see you after half a century passed. And when you said that you intended to bring someone…" His gaze drifted to Keiko, who was looking amused by the exchange. "…we thought that someone would be Kurama or Hiei. But it seems that we are wrong."

"Hell, right!" Yusuke pronounced, shifting the weight of his bag on his other shoulder.

"Yusuke…" The warning tone was evident in Keiko's voice, and Yusuke clamped up.

The men grinned. "Got him by the leash, Miss?" Hokushin asked pleasantly, ignoring Yusuke's threatening glare.

"Of course," she replied just as pleasant, smiling back.

"I never thought I'd see the day Sir Yusuke would simply shut up for the sake of a woman," the man, Seitei, remarked, following Hokushin's lead. "He's not the type to immediately listen."

"Believe me, it took me seventeen years to have the power over him now," Keiko told them, trying hard not to laugh at Yusuke's thunderous expression.

"Hey! That's—"

To'o laughed. "I like her," he announced. "Pleased to meet you, miss. To'o is my name."

Keiko grasped the man's outstretched hand. "Keiko. Yukimura Keiko."

Both of them ignored Yusuke's growling, "Oi, To'o! Don't start with her! She's taken!"

It was sunset.

The golden rays of the Makai sun cast a wonderful glow across a sandy land. The five of them were silent, and Keiko could nearly feel the tension radiating from Yusuke as they climb a series of steps. She reached out for his hand and held it tight, squeezing it. Yusuke smiled faintly, but didn't shrug the gesture off.

"We're here," came Hokushin's solemn announcement.

Keiko's eyes traveled at the center of the sandy platform. A stone (or was it metal?) lay in the middle, with inscriptions she couldn't understand embedded on it. Faded flowers were placed at the foot of the stone, and she clenched her own bouquet of flowers in her hand that she picked up on the way.

Yusuke approached the grave, Keiko following him reluctantly. The three demons stayed behind, trying hard not to show any emotion. Quietly, they looked at the scene before them. Raizen would have been proud to meet this girl. He would have been proud to see his son all grown up like this. Urameshi Yusuke was a far cry from the impatient, delinquent boy they met three years earlier. He had grown into a man.

A man in love and was about to embark on a great journey.

"Hey, Dad." Yusuke knelt in front of his grave, touching the stone gently, like it was some sort of precious jewel. "Brought someone to meet you."

Keiko knelt beside Yusuke, placing the flowers— wild flowers— beside the wilted flowers. Yusuke dragged Keiko in his arms, burying his face in her hair. Keiko held him tightly as she could, feeling his sadness and happiness at the same time.

How long they stayed liked that, nobody knows.

"Sir Yusuke?"

Yusuke lifted his gaze and came in to contact with Hokushin. "Yeah?"

"Enki wants to talk to you," he reported, pointing to the south. "Says that you should hurry up, because both of you have lots to catch on."

Yusuke stood up, a grin pasted on his face. "Yeah, yeah. Just because the big guy became king doesn't mean he can order me around." He turned to Keiko, "Come on, Keiko—"

"I'll stay here," she quickly intervened, flashing him a smile.

Her fiancé gaped. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I think I want to be alone right now. And besides, it's confidential, right?"

He frowned. "But—"

Hokushin interrupted him. "We'll make sure Miss Keiko will not get into any trouble, Sir Yusuke. We'll guard her with our life."

A wry grin appeared on Yusuke's face. "You'd better." He faced the three men. "Charmed you, didn't she?"

To'o laughed. "Definitely. She's perfect for you."

Yusuke shook his head and turned to face Keiko. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and said, "I'll be back soon," before walking down the steps.

"If you need anything, Miss Keiko, just yell and we'll be right beside you in a jiffy," Hokushin told her, as they descended the steps.

Keiko laughed. "I don't doubt that," she said dryly. "Seeing you guys run like that… god, I was baffled. Superpowers and stuff. Although I should be used to it by now, with Yusuke being my boyfriend and all, I don't think I'll ever get used to these kinds of things like spirits and demon world."

To'o grinned. "But you have to admit, life would be boring without Sir Yusuke and the demons chasing him around."

She chuckled. "Definitely, but then it would risk less the chance of me having a heart attack whenever he gets into trouble."

After the three demons left her, Keiko tentatively approached the grave. She sat gingerly on the sandy ground, admiring how beautiful the sun was, despite knowing this world was inhabited by demons and monsters.

"Um, hello," she said softly, blushing at the thought of talking to a grave. If Yusuke saw her, he may think she might've gone wacko. The crazy guy. But she really felt that someone was there with her. "I'm Yukimura Keiko. Your son's girlfriend. He went back to the Human World a month ago, 'cause he sorta promised me that he would."

Silence.

"But then again, I had to wait for more than a year before he actually showed his face." She paused, plucking a flower from a small patch of grass that miraculously grew in the middle of the desert. "I actually lost hope, thinking that he may have forgotten about me during his stay in Demon World—"

"I can assure you, he did not."

Keiko gasped and looked at the stairs, but no one was there. Did she simply imagine it?

The voice spoke up again. "Not a day goes by that my son doesn't remember you. Even when fighting, your memory ceased to disappear in his mind, letting all his Mazoku instincts take over his rebellious body."

Slowly, Keiko turned away from the picturesque sunset, and faced the grave. She took a deep breath as an image of a man with claws, a battered body and long white hair (much like Yusuke's before) appeared sitting on the grave.

The man had penetrating eyes, eyes that searched and probed hers. She could feel him judging her. Who was he? How did he get here? Her legs were jelly and gooey, making it impossible for her to run. Was she going to die?

"Don't be afraid, woman," the man said, smirking slightly. "I am not going to eat you. After all, I am dead, and I gave up eating humans a long time ago. And besides, Yusuke will probably dig my grave and kill me again for doing so."

Now that surprised Keiko. "Excuse me?" she blurted out, looking confused.

The man didn't answer at once. He stared off at the sunset, as if lost in thought. "I am Raizen. Urameshi Yusuke's father." Then he looked at Keiko. "Welcome to my terrain, my daughter."

**X**

"Ah, Raizen Junior!"

Yusuke winced as Enki's voice echoed throughout the hall. The big demon with a huge smile opened his arms and hugged the life out of him. "It's good to see you again, Raizen Junior," he said gaily, plopping him on the ground with a huge grin.

Yusuke scowled, just for the heck of it. "Hey, stop calling me that! I'm not seven, ya know!"

The great demon king laughed. He looked behind Yusuke, as if expecting someone else. "So, where is she?" he asked, scratching his head.

Puzzled, Yusuke asked, "What? Where is who?"

Enki grinned devilishly and poked him on the rib. "Aww… you know who," he said teasingly.

He frowned. "If I knew, I would've answered you. Now stop beating around the bush and just tell me!"

"Why, your soon-to-be wife, my boy!" Enki exclaimed, clasping his big hands together. "I want to meet the woman who is brave enough to take you as a husband!"

"I'm not that bad!"

"Sure you're not."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed, but it has no effect whatsoever on the king of all demons. "In any case, how'd ya know? I introduced her to Hokushin and the other bald guys for over an hour ago. How could you possibly—"

Enki laughed. "Gossip travels well across this land, didn't you know? Demons from every nook and cranny of Makai probably knows that you're getting married. In fact, some already held a betting booth that you'll have cold feet."

"What the hell!"

**X**

"What the hell?"

Raizen laughed. "My son picked a firecracker," he drawled. "I was sure you were a woman without any backbone. But then again, you wouldn't have stuck with Yusuke if you haven't got any."

Keiko felt slightly faint. He was supposed to be dead. How on earth-? "Um, can I ask you a question?" she voiced out hesitantly.

The former demon king tilted his head.

"You're dead, so how on earth can you talk with me?"

"This world has mysterious ways, missy," Raizen answered, grinning. "Never mind how. I want to talk to you about some things."

Keiko raised her eyebrows. "What about?"

His sharp eyes gazed into hers. "My son."

**X**

"Urameshi!"

"Yo, Urameshi!"

"Hey, Urameshi, how's it been going for ya?"

Yusuke laughed as the old gang gave him a bear hug. "Jin! Chu! Rinku! Hey, you're squishing my arm, Toya, you dope!"

"So, when's the wedding?" Enki asked, as he sat on a chair behind a huge table.

"Yeah, Urameshi, when's the big day?" Jin popped up, grinning widely as always. "I have to prepare, 'ya know. Still have to dig up me old tuxedo, which I think is buried beneath my momma's clothes."

"Wait a minute, what are you saying?" Yusuke found himself confused by everything that was happening. "Are you attending a wedding or something?"

Everyone looked at him weirdly.

"Of course, you bloke," Chu said with a drunken grin. "We're attending yours! Did'ya think we would pass up the chance to see you all lovey-dovey over a woman? No way in hell I tell you! No way in hell!"

The former spirit detective's jaw dropped. "WHAT THE HELL!"

**X**

"…and he's one stubborn son of a gun, but sometimes he could be incredibly sweet and he keeps all of his promises to me, even at times when I was sure he couldn't fulfill them—but there he goes, surprising me and making me fall head-over-heels in love with him again!"

Raizen looked at Keiko with amused eyes, thinking how much she suited his son. She was passionate, smart and a very lovely girl. And it was obvious that she loves him, despite him being a demon. He shifted in his position. "I can tell you from experience, my daughter, that my son is this stubborn mule when it comes to his life."

"At times, he may seem as if he doesn't have any direction to where he is going with his life," Raizen continued, a faraway expression on his face. "But you have to understand, he left you for several years to face his past—a past that could haunt him if he moved forward with you to the future, if he didn't faced it. It may look as if he doesn't value you, but for the record, he values you more than anything else in this world, or in yours."

Keiko was silent. "I know that now," she said, her voice small. "At first, I thought he simply didn't care for me at all. I mean, who wouldn't think about that? He would skip dates and be gone for months at a time without telling me—I felt so abandoned."

"But at the same time…" Raizen saw her blush. "…he would be so sweet and caring. He was always so protective of me, trying to make sure I am always safe. Even when he was dead, he was still looking out for me."

"And you love him." It was a statement, not a question.

Keiko lifted her head and faced him. "Yes, I do. Very much."

Raizen smiled contentedly. "That I am glad of." He looked up at the sky. "I am happy that my son met you, that you have this chance to make him happy. His mother, the woman whom I've loved since the moment I met her, is ecstatic too. We've never had the chance to spend our lives together, since our circumstances are widely different from each other. But right now, we have an eternity to spend with each other."

"But you and my son were given a chance, a chance I would've died for. Make him happy. Bear babies and watch them grow. And just spend time with each other as much as you can."

Keiko smiled. "You know, in some weird way, you sound exactly like Yusuke when he's giving some sort of pep talk."

The demon laughed. "Of course. After all, he is my son."

Raizen reached out. With hesitation, Keiko took his hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Keiko," he said gravely. "And I am glad to have a daughter like you."

**X**

Yusuke was doozey. The gang and Enki insisted that they should be invited, or else they would settle in crashing his wedding. Of course, Yusuke relented and invited his demon friends. So that means Jin, Chu, Toya, Rinku… Enki and his wife… his bald friends…

He winced. Keiko would surely go ballistic when she hears this. They haven't even planned anything, and here he was, inviting everyone in Demon World. Heck, he hadn't even presented her the ring! He simply made her a promise. He trudged the stairs, the sun slowly setting behind him. The brightest of the stars were starting to appear.

And he saw her.

Keiko was fast asleep against his father's grave. A small smile was on her lips, and she looked contented. Quietly, Yusuke approached her and stared at her form for a few moments.

"She's gorgeous."

Yusuke closed his eyes. "Do you think I would've settled for anyone less, Dad?"

Raizen smirked. "No. Of course not."

"You took care of her."

"Of course. You'd have my grave if she got hurt."

"Got that right."

A comfortable silence fell between father and son.

"You did well, son."

Yusuke opened his eyes, a smile on his face. Raizen wasn't there. "Thanks, Dad," he murmured.

Keiko began to stir. She yawned and stretched, her brown eyes connecting with Yusuke's. "Oh, hey there," she said softly, opening her arms for him.

Chuckling, Yusuke lifted her in his arms and sat on the stairs. "Hey, sleepyhead. Tired?"

She buried her face in his neck, breathing in his scent. "Yeah, but it is a nice kind of tired," she said sleepily. "What's new with you?"

Yusuke sweatdropped. "Nothing much. I—I caught up with a few of my old buddies back from the Dark Tournament."

"Really?" Keiko snuggled more against him. "Was it Rinku, Chu and the others?"

He raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know them? I don't remember introducing them to you."

"They rescued us while you were out cold. They were really nice."

"Ah."

From somewhere…

"…whaddya see? Whaddya see?"

"Aww, look at Urameshi. He's getting all smoochy on a girl."

"Are they kissing? Are they kissing?"

"Why'd ya wanna know, Rinku? You're too young for this kinda stuff."

"Am not! Hello, I've been killing demons for years now, and you think I'm too small to see whether Urameshi is kissing some girl!"

"Shut up, Rinku, they aren't kissing!"

"Then what are they doing? Can I borrow the binoculars, Chu?"

"No."

"Me thinks Yusuke is gonna propose!"

"WHAT!"

"Sir Yusuke… he's bringing out a small box…"

"…and he opens the box…"

"…Oh me gosh, he's doing it!"

"Doing what?"

They all faced the small boy and yelled, "PROPOSING!"

Keiko's eyes watered, and Yusuke feared he did something bad. But when Keiko pressed her lips against his, and whispered, "Yes, yes. I love you, and yes", fear disappeared and Yusuke kissed her back passionately.

"_You did well, son."_

**PS.** This was supposed to be a multi-chapter fic, but I couldn't figure out when and where should I cut the story. So it ended up as an oneshot. I should've focused more on Raizen and Keiko, but… ugh, it ended as this. Hope it is still good.

The sequel of this story is about Yusuke and Keiko's wedding. I'm going to make it funny, since mixing demons and humans is the way to disaster. And besides, Chu and the gang will be there… so it is bound to be funny. And I'm guessing it'll also be a long oneshot… depends, I guess. It may be a multi-chapter fic, since there are a lot going on in that story. Anyway, the sequel is called _**Kissing the Bride**_, so I hope you guys will watch out for it!

And please review. Puh-lease? *bats eyelashes and does puppy-dog eyes* Thanks for reading!

**Hey, guys. I published this story years ago and I just edited the spacing so the story would clearer. Nothing changed except the way I divided the paragraphs and such. Thanks for reading! Happy Christmas!**


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